Florida County May Boost Impact Fees

In Palm Beach County, Fla., impact fees haven't budged since 2005. “When the South Florida housing bubble burst, Palm Beach County put the brakes on impact fee increases in the hopes of helping builders and developers ride out the slump," reports the Sun Sentinel. But as the building industry shows signs of life, the county is considering raising the fees, which pay for public facilities and services such as parks, libraries, roads, fire-rescue, law enforcement, schools, and other public buildings, the paper reports (“Palm Beach County considers boosting new home fees," by Andy Reid).

With building down, collections have lagged, the paper reports: “During the height of the building boom in 2005, Palm Beach County received $99 million from impact fees. Last year the county collected nearly $13 million in impact fees," Impact Fee Coordinator Willie Swoope said.

County Commissioner Steven Abrams told the paper that impact fees are a “balancing act": "You want home buyers to start buying again, but it's revenue that the county uses to pay for the services [home buyers] use."